The Bleached Throne
by Pokemon1235
Summary: Two worlds. One prophecy. As the fates of two cross each other, a balance must be struck in order to salvage the world, as it falls into chaos. A Bleachx GoT crossover.
1. Chapter 1

**THE BLEACHED THRONE**

 **Prologue:**

 **Author's Note:** Ok guys. I recently started watching GoT after a lot of insistence from my friends. And I fell in love with it ever since. I have started Season 2 and the idea for this story came about towards the end of Season 1. As a result, this story picks up at about the end of Season 1. It's essentially going to be a crossover between the Bleach and the GoT universe...the only common ground I could find laughably being swords! Don't worry. For those who have watched Bleach or are aware of it would probably think I'm about to introduce OP characters in this story. Fear not. That's not my intention. While my OC _will_ be a shinigami and _will_ wield a Zanpakuto, it's true abilities will not be utilised till far later into the story. SO NO SHIKAI ANYTIME SOON! So those who will follow this story, please don't request for Shikai or Bankai...those will be revealed in due time. With that said, let's get the show on the road….

* * *

 **Prologue:**

Soul Society. The realm of the dead. The plane of existence one is said to enter upon death.

While mortals would construe it to to be paradise, it was far from it. Aside from a lack of hunger and a slow aging,everything was much the same as the Mortal Realm. Struggles and hardships were a daily routine for those who lived in the Rukongai districts. And things pretty much went literally south the further deeper one went into the districts.

And amongst all this was the proud structure that arose at the centre- the Seireitei- the Court of Pure Souls. Containing the Shinigamis- Soul Reapers, the Seireitei was said to be the military force of the realm. These people were tasked with protecting the realms from the charge of Hollows- evil monsters said to devour souls and the mortal enemy of Soul Reapers. While Hollows would rarely venture into Seireitei, they were a common occurrence in the lower districts of Rukongai. Aside from that, most Hollows preferred the World of the Living, as it provided them with far greater number of souls to feed on. The Hollows were indeed a nuisance.

While Hollows were a matter of grave importance, Soul Society had faced far worse internal threats than those which were external. The treacherous Aizen had struck not more than a few decades ago. Also known as the Winter War, Aizen allied himself with the Hollows and declared an all-out attack upon Soul Society, while all the time furthering his own ambitions of transcending the boundaries of Hollows and Soul Reapers. What was far more recent was the subsequent Quincy attack which occurred but two years later. A war which took its toll and the lives of many a fine Shinigami in battle as Seireitei sacrificed its previous Head Captain to ensure the defeat of the enemy forces. The war was finally brought to a close by the Substitute Soul Reaper and legendary Shinigami of the Winter War, Ichigo Kurosaki, who refused to surrender to the almighty power of his foe. It was only through extreme perseverance and a knowledge of his full capabilities was he finally able to overcome his opponent.

Thus, Soul Society, which was consequently damaged heavily in the war, began to get back to its feet. It took an entirety of five years to successfully rebuild the massive structure to its former glory. Ever since, peace had reigned in the realm and all realms across.

It was on such a night that we find a young man strolling down the path to the Head Captain's barracks. He was young, if one had to hazard a guess, almost an adult, but not quite there yet- say around 14. He had on the traditional garb of a Soul Reaper which constituted of a black robe lined with white edges. On his side lay his Zanpakuto. He was tall with a crop of copper colored had which shone in the light of the few lanterns lit here and there. He was fair skinned and brown eyed.

It was one of the few times in the day he was able to wander about without having to be busy in paperwork(groan!), or running away from Kenpachi, the bloodthirsty captain of the Squad Eleven who was always pestering him to a fight, one which he would never accept, or training a new recruit in his stance and katas. While he did enjoy the latter, it was the former which annoyed him to no end. As he let out a groan of annoyance, a voice chuckled in his mind.

Rolling his eyes, he thought to himself.

 _Really?_ He asked.

The chuckling gave way to an annoyed huff.

 _Well, if you just gave him what he wanted…_

Toshio sighed.

 _We've had this discussion already...you know I don't want to…_

His Zanpakuto spirit sighed as he consented.

He was about to return back to his squad barracks when a recruit ran upto him in a hurry. He was a short man, around the same age as that of Toshio. He had a much more rotund appearance but was shockingly fast on his feet. His face was round and held a boyish charm to them. He was huffing and puffing, clearly out of breath, by the time he arrived. Toshio raised an eyebrow.

"What's up Kenji? Is Kenpachi looking around for me already" he asked wearily, as he looked about frantically, albeit a bit comically. A sudden thought struck him as he smacked his head for his stupidity. Kanpachi had such monstrous spiritual energy that when unleashed, it could be sensed from miles away.

His Zanpakuto chuckled at his folly.

 _Shut up, Shashutaiho!_ The Zanpakuto's laughter faded away in the back of his mind.

Kenji, meanwhile having regained his breath, spoke.

"Lord Shiba, its.." before Toshio cut him off.

"No Lord or any titles, Kenji. How many times have I told you to just call me Toshio?" he asked.

"So many times I've already lost count as it is." Kenji replied with a sly grin.

Toshio smirked in response.

Kenji Yumia. The Third Seat of Squad 13. A lowly born Rukongai who entered the Academy in the same year as Toshio. While most generally tended to underestimate him owing to his appearance, he was no one to be trifled with.

He could distinctly remember the shy boy he had come across in their first year.

 _Flashback_

 _He took a step back as he slashed the boken down through the air. Completing the set of katas, he wiped his brow in exhaustion as he set the broken away. He was about to exit the training dojo, so as to get in some Kido training when his eyes fell on another boy at the corner._

 _Upon noticing his stance, Toshio was able to notice at least three openings in his guard. He walked up to him. The boy on the other hand was too busy executing the katas to take notice._

" _Your legs are too wide apart." he said._

 _The boy jumped in fright, nearly dropping the wooden sword in shock, as he whirled around to face him. His eyes held a wild look about them, almost as if was anticipating an attack. Toshio sighed._

 _The look of the Rukongais, he thought. He should have known better than to creep up on a Rukongai._

" _Easy there." he replied calmly. " It's just your hairs is far too open. Anyone can break through with the barest effort."_

" _W-What do y-you…?" he was cut off abruptly as Toshio vanished from sight, appearing right behind him, the tip of his boken at the nape of his neck._

" _...and you're dead." he finished, as he stepped back, withdrawing his boken. The boy turned around steadily to face him. Toshio raised an eyebrow as he noticed the change in his eyes. Gone was the look of fright, replaced by a look of bewilderment and admiration._

" _You know the Flash Step already?" the boy asked, in awe as he stepped back and took a good look at Toshio._

" _Umm...yeah…" Toshio said, awkwardly with a small grin._

" _But they don't teach it till at least fourth year." he replied, the excitement in his voice rising by the sentence._

" _Oh yeah...Dad taught it to me. It took me around a month to master it properly._

"

" _Wow. Your dad's probably a really powerful Soul Reaper then if he was able to teach you that." he replied._

" _Was." Toshio replied in a low voice, as his face fell._

" _Who is he?" the boy asked,clearly not having heard his previous reply. He was literally bouncing on his soles in excitement._

" _He_ _ **was**_ _Rai Shiba." Toshio replied with a short pause._

 _The boy's eyes widened as he understood the implications of the situation._

 _Rai Shiba. The previous Captain of Squad Five and the head of the lesser of the noble clans, the Shibas, and the third and final student of the previous Head Captain the late Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who had been slain in the war against the Quincies. He had been nominated for the position of the Fifth Squad Captain, shortly after the Winter War and had been an admirable Captain, despite his short tenure. He was a sharp contrast to the previous Captain, the treacherous Sosuke Aizen, the man being the Winter War. While he had been a strict disciplinarian, he was far from the cold Byakuya Kuchiki, the ex-Captain of the Sixth Squad. He was a man of honour and integrity and he had an eye for each and every one the men he led. While he was an intimidating person, in reality he was actually kind to all whom he led._

 _He was fast friends with both Shinsui Kyoraku and Jushiro Ukitake, all of whom, had known each each other since they were mere children in the early days of the Soul Society._

 _What he primarily excelled in was his proficiency in Kido. From what Toshio had heard, his usage of Kido itself was a rather inventive and shockingly complicated method, which only a few in the Kido Corps were able to analyse properly. Prior to being made the Captain to the Fifth Squad, he had been the first Captain of the Kido Corps, a branch of Soul Reapers who were specifically trained in the usage of Kido. He had himself trained his successor, the exiled Captain Tessai. His skill level in Kido was considered legendary and some who had seen him in action had observed him string multiple Kidos into a single stack, as if it were second nature, an ability which could only be outdone by the Head Captain himself . Apart from that, he possessed a rather unique skill in Kido, something which none bar the Head Captain had ever been able to analyse. Yet it was so complex, that while the Head Captain had understood the theory behind it, he had never been able to perform the under his command had never seen the Captain fight with his Zanpakuto, instead opting for Kido. He was said to have slain Hollows ranging from level ones to as high as Adjuchas with Kido alone. Using Level Ninety spells were merely second nature to him. He had soon resigned from the Kido Corps after Toshio had been born, whose mother had unfortunately passed away in after giving birth to him._

 _It was rumored that in the entirety of his lifetime he had activated his Zanpakuto a mere handful of times. None till date had survived to recount the tale of its abilities. His proficiency in Kido was so high that none but the Captains were aware of his Zanpakuto, as it was mandatory to display one's Shikai and Bankai in the Selection Ceremony. Toshio had heard that when he had been asked to release his Zanpakuto to the others, he had asked each of them to accompany him to the outskirts of Soul Society, far out of Seireitei. When each of them had returned, the only ones who were in perfect conditions were the Head Captain, Captain Kyoraku and Captain Ukitake. The rest had all looked as though they had been spooked or something. He and his father had had a right laugh about it that night. It had thus been unfortunate that the Captain's life was forsaken in the battle against the Quincies. Yhwach, the Quincy leader had been the one to slay him in battle. The exact nature of his death was unknown as he had been off fighting the Quincy forces outside the walls._

 _The boy felt a bit overwhelmed, yet saddened for him. It was clear that he had brought up a sore topic. It was then that a sudden thought struck him._

" _Wait…then that means you're Lord Shiba." he replied in awe and respect. He was about to bow to him when Toshio stopped him. He looked up and locked eyes with him. His eyes had a serious look to them._

" _I'm no lord. My name is Toshio. And you are not to bow to me. Do I make myself clear?" Roshik asked in a commanding tone._

 _His eyes widened at that. "Yes ,my lord…" Noticing his glare, he quickly corrected himself. "I mean Toshio."_

 _Toshio stepped back as he observed the boy in front of him. It was clear that his katas were more or less perfect. The only flaw in his stance were those openings in his guard. He slammed that tip of his boken down on the floor, startling him._

" _Your guard is littered with openings. Like I showed earlier, anyone half-good will be able to break through and strike you in a moment's notice."_

" _O-ok, Lor- Toshio." If Toshio had noticed his slip up, he didn't give indication to it._

" _Take your stance." Toshio commanded as he raised his boken. The boy did as he was told._

" _Your legs are too far apart." he barked, as he slammed his boken down in front of his legs. The boy quickly adjusted, moving his left foot closer to the right one._

" _That's better, I guess." Toshio stepped back as he continued to analyse him._

" _Once you enter your stance…" he continued "...it is critical that you be aware of your surroundings. An opponent need not necessarily strike you upfront. You need to be on your feet and quick, so as to adjust to your opponent's style."_

 _He stepped back as he set his boken back on the rack._

" _I believe that will be all for today." he replied as he turned back to him. He left for the door._

 _The boy sighed in relief. He approached the rack and sid the boken back into its slot._

 _As Toshio approached the door, he turned his head once again._

" _Hey, I didn't quite get your name." Toshio asked, half embarrassed._

 _The boy looked up, a small smile on his face._

" _I thought you'd never ask. Its Kenji. Kenji Yumia." he replied._

" _Well, Kenji i guess I'll be seeing you around tomorrow I guess." With that Toshio left the dojo, sliding its doors shut._

 _Kenji had been his best friend ever had taken some time for Toshio to break Kenji out of his shell, being that he was shy and awkward around others. That being said, Toshio soon realized Kenji's true potential lay in Hakuda, the art of physical combat- an area which he would naturally excel in considering his origins. Toshio lacked training in this particular area. Thus they both came to a mutual agreement- Kenji would teach him Hakuda,while Toshio would teach him Zanjutsu. Toshio was never a natural at Kido, something which bothered him to no end. Most of his peers had thought he would be particularly talented at it, considering his father had been a proficient user. He still had a difficulty grasping Bakudo- the Sealing Arts- as they required a much finer control over one's spiritual energy, a fact which Kenji never failed to remind him, ironically. While he could perform Hado, he was unable to perform any of the spells beyond Level 40, owing to his training with Captain Kuchiki, who herself was an expert in Kido. Both had graduated early in their third year, and shockingly, had both been selected into Squad Thirteen, which had been the Squad Toshio had almost been dying to enter, as he wanted to serve the now late Captain Jushiro Ukitake, who had been one of his father's closest friends. They were one of the two youngest recruits in the history of the Court Guards. The Squad was currently led by Captain Rukia Kuchiki, the sister of Byakuya Kuchiki._

 _End Flashback_

"Ok. Now that you've had your fun and games, what is it that you were all huffing and puffing away to say."

"Oh yeah. Sorry." he replied, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Captain Kuchiki has asked for you at her barracks. She asked to come without delay."

Toshio raised an eyebrow at that. _An odd request,_ he thought, _What_ _would the Captain want at this hour? Oh God! I hope it's not more paperwork_ he groaned.

Noticing his look, Kenji grinned.

"Well...I'm off. More sake for me, I guess." Kenji replied.

"Little idiot." Toshio muttered as watched Kenji disappear around a turn, whistling a merry tune.

Toshio took a left and kept walking until he finally arrived at the Squad Thirteen barracks. Approaching Captain Kuchiki's office, he slid the door open and entered.

The office was traditional one, used commonly by every Captain in Soul Society. A large ornate desk lay at the centre with piles of paper neatly stacked at its corners. The sheer stacks of paper would drive anyone insane and yet behind the desk was Captain Kuchiki, poring over one of the piles, quite diligently, something which he had never seen anyone else do.

Rukia Kuchiki. The adoptive sister of Byakuya and petite, Rukia had light skin and purple eyes. Her hair was black, with several strands of hair always hanging between her eyes. She had on the traditional Soul Reaper shikasho with a Captain's haori on top. Her Zanpakuto laid attached to a strap on her side.

At times, Toshio wondered how she could possibly be related to Byakuya of all people. Byakuya tended to be cold and detached whereas Rukia was always kind to every one of her Squad members and reserved time to listen to each and every one of their problems when she could.

Looking up from her paperwork, she spotted him.

"Oh, Toshio. Do come in." she replied with a warm smile. Toshio approached the desk and took one of the seats offered to him.

"Why was I called, Captain?" he asked, in confusion. He most certainly hoped it wasn't MORE dreaded paperwork!

Noticing the look on his face, Rukia chuckled.

"It's _not_ more paperwork, if that's what you're thinking." Toshio sighed in relief at that. " But I'm afraid we can't actually begin addressing _why_ you're here until a certain _someone_ 's how's up" she replied, her eyes twitching in annoyance.

Toshio looked confused. He had rarely seen his Captain get annoyed or angry. She was more often than not, a calm and gentle Captain. But Toshio _had_ witnessed her Captain's wrath quite a few times, and more often than not, it had always been targeted at-

The door slid open once again as a man entered. His most distinguishing feature was his ridiculously spiky orange hair, a trait he has been ridiculed about for years on end. He was a fairly tall, lean-built young man with peach skin and brown eyes. He had on the traditional Soul Reaper shikasho. The hilt of a massive Zanpakuto could be seen at his back, which was wrapped in cloth, ready to be pulled at a moment's notice.

Toshio grinned.

"Hey Master Ichigo, haven't seen you here in awhile. How have you been?" he asked, as he left his seat and approached him.

"Hey kid!" he replied, as he ruffled his air. Toshio huffed in annoyance not liking when anyone did that. Ichigo merely chuckled.

If Toshio had anyone to thank for his proficient development in Zanjutsu, it would be this man before him. Ichigo Kurosaki, the Substitute Soul Reaper and the vanquisher of both Aizen and Yhwach. The entire realm of existence owed a lot to this man for his efforts in bringing an end to both wars. It had been Captain Kuchiki who had recognised his true hidden potential at first.

 _Flashback_

 _He had just been called to the Captain's office at moment's notice, having just finished his daily training routine. As he entered the office, be slid the door shut and took a seat._

 _As he looked around the empty office, be couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. It had hardly been two months since his entry into the Squad, and he had already been summoned to her Captain's office. He sincerely hope he hadn't screwed up somewhere and was about to get a telling off. Or maybe-_

 _Before his thought could progress any further, the door slid open once again and in walked his Captain._

" _I'm sorry if I have kept you waiting. I had to go and discuss something with the Head Captain personally, before we could begin our discussion." she replied with a smile._

 _This just seemed to get worse and worse._

" _Of course, Captain." he replied, with a bow._

" _Oh. None of that. I won't have my Squad members bising to me." she replied,sternly._

" _Yes, of course Captain." he replied, straightening up._

" _Take your seat." she replied, as she took the seat on the opposite end of the desk. Pushing aside each stack of paperwork, he settled for sharing hard into his eyes. This only made him fidget worse._

" _Tell me.." she asked, in a commanding tone, her smile sliding off her face, "What is your_ _ **true**_ _level of power?"_

 _She knows! he thought in panic. He tried to act innocent._

" _I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean, Captain? I'm only a Sixth Seat-"_

" _Stop." she replied, sternly. " I noticed you while you were sparring today." Toshio's eyes widened at that. He hadn't even felt his Captain's spiritual energy in the surroundings. Toshio preferred to train in seclusion, in the far outskirts of Seireitei rather than in the barracks. Noticing the look of shock on his face, a small smile formed on her Captain's face._

" _You didn't believe you were the only one who could conceal their spiritual energy, did you now? The truth. Now." she commanded._

 _He sighed . Guess there was no point in lying any more._

 _He provided his Captain a full account of each and every one of his abilities. After it was all over, her Captain leaned back in her chair, a thoughtful expression on her face._

" _You're clearly far too good to be a mere Sixth Seat. Why didn't you aspire to go higher?' she asked, puzzled._

 _Toshio shrugged._

" _I'm happy where I am. I like to keep my head low and get my work done without drawing too much attention."_

" _But if you-" his Captain continued ,before being cut off._

" _I_ _ **said**_ _I'm happy where I am." Toshio replied, with a forceful expression o. His face._

 _Clearly sensing that she had crossed some line, the Captain did not pursue it any further. She dismissed him without further words._

 _A week later, he was summoned once again to her office. This time, he noticed someone else awaiting him at her office allah with his Captain. Upon noticing who it was, his eyes widened in shock._

" _I-Ichigo Kurosaki?" he asked in awe. He couldn't believe he was meeting him for the first time. He heard so many tales about the man from his Captain and her husband, Renji Abarai, the current Captain of the Sixth Squad, both of whom were his close friends. Meeting him in person, was every Soul Reaper's dream. Unfortunately, be resided in the Human World, and while he would occasionally visit, such visits were usually private occasions, and not common knowledge as such._

" _Why am I here, midget?" he asked, in annoyed voice as he rise from his seat._

 _The Captain's eyes touched before she sent a fist flying straight into his face, knocking him over._

" _I'M NOT A MIDGET!" she screamed._

 _Toshio immediately resolved_ _ **not**_ _to get on his Captain's bad side_ _ **ever.**_

 _Noticing Toshio standing at the door, she quickly composed herself before smiling at him._

" _Come in Toshio. We've been waiting for you."_

 _As he took his seat, Ichigo wearily got off the floor, a he rubbed his face._

" _Why did you go and do that, Rukia?" he asked, in annoyance._

" _You tell me." she replied with a chuckle. Ichigo gave a small smile too._

" _Ok. Seriously." Ichigo asked, a she took his seat once again. "Why did you ask me to come?"_

 _In reply, she simply turned to Toshio._

" _Its Toshio here. I want you to train him.",she said, in a very matter-of-fact tone._

 _Toshio's mouth hung open after that declaration. He couldn't believe his Captain had just made such a proposal. He was about to be trained by THE Ichigo Kurosaki?!_

" _So you're the one I'm to train. I look forward to it. I have never had an apprentice before. This should be interesting." as he eyes Toshio critically, who in turn began to feel self-conscious, hoping he wouldn't embarrass himself in front of him._

" _Training begins on Friday. I will training you twice every week, so I hope you bring your A-game kid." he replied, before ruffling his hair. Following which, he and the Captain left the room for a private discussion. They both returned shortly. Ichigo gave him a thumbs-up before he left._

 _Toshio was still stunned at the events which had just taken place. He turned to the Captain as if for an explanation. She simply shrugged._

" _You didn't wish to be promoted. So I thought you had at least better have proper experience fighting against opponent's, when you DO chose to do so."_

 _Ever since that day, Ichigo had been training him twice every week for nearly a year till now. He was infinitely grateful to both his Captain to present him with this opportunity._

 _End Flashback_

"YOU'RE LATE!" screamed the Captain, bringing him out of his reminiscence, her eyes still twitching in annoyance. " I sent you that Hell Butterfly hours ago…" she trialed off.

"Sorry, sorry." Ichigo replied apologetically as shut the door and took a seat. "I had some work at the clinic and Orihime wouldn't let me leave without dinner, so…"

Rukia sighed.

"It doesn't matter. At least you're here." she replied, as she took resumed her seat.

"So...Why am I here, Captain?" Toshio asked Toshio, expectantly.

The Captain and Ichigo exchanged a look before she addressed Toshio.

"You have been nominated as an Observer, approved by the Head Captain."

Toshio's eyes widened in shock a she heard what was told. It took him a few moments for him to register what was being said, before he actually comprehended the meaning of said words.

Contrary to popular belief, the Human World was not the only world connected to the Soul Society. There were a multitude of other worlds, each of which are individually connected to the Soul Society.

An Observer. A Soul Reaper sent to an alternate realm to oversee its activities and to protect said realm from Hollow attacks. A task of high honour, a single Soul Reaper was usually appointed per world for such a task, as it was usually observed that each world did not have vast populations of Hollows. While Hollows were a common occurrence in every world of the Mortal Realm, they were more often than not, found in abundance in worlds which contained being with high outputs of spiritual energy. As such, Hollow populations were unequally distributed across various worlds. Hueco Mundo- the realm of Hollows- was similarly connected to each of these worlds, similar to the Soul Society.

Toshio could barely register his Captain's words which were sounding far off. It was only when ichigo shook his shoulders that he regained his senses.

"You looked off." Ichigo replied, "Is everything alright?"

"Umm...Yeah.." he replied, trying to clear his head, but failing to do so.

"So?" his Captain asked, clearly resistant upon noticing his reaction, "Do you accept?"

"Y-yeah. I mean, ofcourse." Toshio replied, in a daze. " I have just one question. Who nominated me?"

The Captain met eyes with Ichigo before answering him..

"Both Ichigo and I vouched for you to the Head Captain. He was decidedly impressed upon hearing the report on your skillset, I admit." she replied with a proud smile. "Besides you already have the requirements fulfilled."

A small smile formed on his face upon hearing that even the Head Captain had approved of him. Everyone knew of Shunsui Kyoraku, the Captain of Squad One and the Head Captain of Soul Society. The man was a legendary figure amongst Soul Reapers. A student of the previous Head Captain, he had taken up his mantel, and had provided the moral support to the rest of the Soul Reapers to stand strong in the face of the threat thus ensuring victory.

The requirements to be fulfilled for one to be nominated as an Observed was a steep one. A Soul Reaper was required to specialize in at least two of the major Soul Reaper Arts- Zanjutsu(the art of sword weilding), Kido(the art of spells including the sub categories, Hado-the Way of Destruction and and Bakudo- the Binding Arts), Hakuda( unarmed combat) and lastly HoHo(high-speed unarmed combat). Most Soul Reapers specialised in the former two while the latter two were far leads focused upon. Infact, he only knew a couple of Soul Reapers who specialised in HoHo, Ichigo being one of them. He himself specialised in both Zanjutsu and Hakuda, the latter owing to having spend years upon and with Kenji. For an Observer, complete mastery over Shikai was considered mandatory. Bankai was an optional choice and as such, not an absolute necessity, as every world in the Living Realm did not contain equal populations of Hollows very few of which contained Hollows which would necessitate the use of Bankai. Thus, _aside_ from Zanjutsu, one needed to be equally proficient in at least one of the other Soul Reapers Arts, which in itself was quite difficult, as most Soul Reapers specialised in a single are.

"When am I to leave?" he asked, a trace of excitement and something else that the Captain couldn't quite understand.

"You will be leaving in a week's time. As for where… I'm afraid only the Head Captain will be able to repay you that information. You will be notified on the day of your departure. You may leave now."

Nodding, Toshio got up to leave. He was about to edit the office, when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. It was Ichigo.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to, you know?" Ichigo replied with a serious expression. "I can convince the Head Captain to change his decision…"

"No." Toshio replied almost immediately " Why would you? Besides it's getting way too quiet around here. I can't even get a decent spar in nowadays. A new world is just what I needed." he replied with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He turned around to face Captain Kuchiki again.

"Thanks again, Captain Kuchiki. For the nomination. I guess I'll be seeing a you tomorrow."

She smiled and nodded.

With that Toshio left.

As soon as the door slid shut, Rukia sighed. Ichigo came up to her and sat down opposite to her.

"He's hiding it. He doesn't want to go. Maybe it was wrong of us to suggest him to the Head Captain. And u know he can't.." before trailing off.

Ichigo met her eyes shortly before replying.

"I know he can't...but at least we _know_ he'll be able to hold his own. He's tough."

Rukia snorted.

"The boy's exactly how I remember you were when you were his age. Headstrong, rash, and rebellious. Yet smart enough to know what to do and when to do so, and the will to never give up."

Ichigo sighed.

"That's true. Even Zangetsu acknowledged how alike we were. And his Zanpakuto is a fearsome one if I ever saw any."

"Let's just cross our fingers and hope we didn't get this one wrong."

* * *

As he lay wide awake in his bed at the Squad Thirteen barracks, he sighed.

 _This is useless,_ he thought, annoyed, _I'm not going to be able to sleep after all this!_

 _Well you_ _ **could**_ _if you tried,_ his Zanpakuto replied, an edge of worry in his voice.

Toshio sighed.

 _Toshio?_

 _Yeah_ , he thought back.

 _No matter where we may go, I will always be there for you. Through thick and thin._

A soft smile formed on Toshio's face as he heard his Zanpakuto's comforting words.

 _Thanks, Shashutaiho. I owe you one._

 _You don't owe me anything,_ Shashutaiho replied, _I'm your Zanpakuto. It's my duty to look out for your well-being._

 _Nevertheless, thanks,_ Toshio replied before he fell asleep.

The next morning, he immediately set about locating Kenji. He soon found him training a recruit in Hakuda,who has having a hard time having to dodge each and every strike, which were steadily becoming quicker and more powerful by the second. To this day it still confused Toshio as to how someone as Kenji could possibly be so quick on his feet.

He was quickly brought out of his thoughts as he saw Kenji preparing to strike him with his left fist. No sooner had the recruit seen thus, he crossed his hands together into a defensive position. Which was exactly Kenji wanted him to do.

 _It's a feint,_ Toshio realised, abruptly.

No sooner had he thought so, that Kenji which dropped his feet and swept the boy's legs out from under him. His Zanpakuto was drawn in a flash and at his throat.

"That's enough for today." Kenji replied, as he pulled him up. " Report back tomorrow. Same time." The recruit nodded before running off.

"Hey, what brings you here so early?" Kenji asked, upon noticing him.

"I have something to tell you."

Kenji noticed the heaviness in his voice and the look on his face.

Toshio let out a deep breath before he continued.

"I've been chosen as an Observer."

Kenji whistles in appreciation.

"Wow. You're lucky. That's such an honour. Plus, you get to see another world. I beg that would be exciting, wouldn't it?"

"I...guess…" be replied shortly.

"What's wrong?" Kenji asked.

"You know what's wrong." he replied in low voice.

Kenji sighed.

"If you don't wish to leave, you could tell the Head Captain so. I'm sure be would be understanding."

"It's..just going to be hard that's all." Toshio replied. "Soul Society is where I've been my entire life. It will be...Difficult leaving all that behind…" as he glanced at Kenji.

Kenji met his eyes.

"The Order of the Observers are one of the most honourable positions in Soul Society. I knew, ever since the day I met you, that you were meant for great things. If this is the price you have to pay…" he trailed off. "Besides it's not all too bad I guess…I get to see you once every year. I mean that should count for something, right?"

Toshio could clearly see that this was hard for Kenji as well. He didn't to make it any harder on him than necessary.

"Thanks." he replied, "I needed that."

"Don't mention it." Kenji replied. "Now what say you and I have one last supper for old times sake."

Toshio grinned.

"You are going to get your ass handed to you. Like last time."

* * *

The day had finally arrived. The day of his departure. He had already said his goodbyes to Captain Kuchiki and Ichigo,both of whom wished him good luck in his endeavours. Before leaving Ichigo had pulled him aside and reached into his shikasho, handing him a wooden charm.

 _Flashback_

 _It looked like a plain charm with the Kanji for 'Luck' on it. When he had looked at him questioningly, Ichigo replied._

" _It's a Kido-based charm my dad gave me when I just became a Soul Reaper. It saved my life, more than a few times. You'll make better use of it than I will." he said with a grin._

 _End Flashback_

He had on a plain robe with a hood. It was made of sturdy fabric which would be able to withstand most sandstorms or harsh weather. Captain Kuchiki had warned him that the terrain of such a world might be difficult to navigate, so it had been best to wear proper clothing accordingly. A knapsack on his back containing nothing other than a few containers of water and a few rice balls which Ichigo had given him, courtesy of his sister Yuzu. Apart from the essentials, he had also been given a special Gigai-an artificial body Soul Reapers use to navigate the Mortal Realm- manufactured by Kisuke Urahara- the exiled Captain of Squad Twelve, who had said that it would be able to adjust to pretty much any and all adverse weather conditions. To make it portable, Kisuke had sealed it into a charm much like the one Ichigo had given him. All he had to do to release the Gigai was release the seal on the charm.

He had already reported to the Head Captain's office and was now currently waiting outside. He heard a call beckoning him in.

When he entered the office, he noticed how unique it was from that of the other Captains. It was massive, easily thrice the size of other floor was a rich marble with curtains hanging from the windows. The bamboo carpet itself was of a soft texture and the desk which lay at its centre an ornate one. Behind his chair, there was a massive shelf containing books each of which looked as old as the ages. He was too busy taking in the room itself, that he entirely forgot to notice the man behind the desk.

He was an odd man if one considered his appearance. He was middle-aged if one had to hazard a guess. He had long black hair tied in a ponytail. On his head rested a conical straw hat, giving him a comical look. To top it all off, upon his haori, he wore a bright pink robe with flowers of various colours and drawings embroidered on it.

While his appearance itself was comical, it was the man's piercing blue eyes which stood out sharply. They reflected much pain, much hardship and much experience. This was _not_ someone to be taken lightly.

Upon noticing him, Toshio paled and quickly bowed to him.

"I'm sorry Head Captain, I've never been here before and I completely…"

The Head Captain merely chuckled before replying.

"That's quite alright, Toshio. I know how curious you are. After all, i _did_ you ever since you were a child. " he replied genially. "And do stop bowing. I'm not a man for formalities. Besides I'm _Uncle Kyoraku_ to you, not Head Captain."

Toshio straightened up before grinning,as he beckoned him forward. Toshio could clearly recall the first time he had met the rather odd man.

 _Flashback_

 _He was a child at the time whose curiosity knew no bounds. Aside from the occasional Squad members, he had hardly met a single person. One day, while his father was away attending to Squad duties, he had left, deciding to take a look around the barracks._

 _While he roamed around, he would occasionally come across various Squad members performing various duties- some were running errands for their Captains or Vice-Captains while others were either busy training a few non-seated members or training themselves._

 _He rounded a corner, and came upon the Eighth Squad barracks. There shared on the porch, he found the strange man whom he occasionally seen in the company of his father. He would often visit in the late hours of night, whisking his father away to some unknown place from where he wouldn't return till the early hours of morning. He recognised the man due to the excessively pink kimono he had on, along with the ridiculous conical hat, he knew Soul Reapers did not generally wear. He couldn't help but chicken at his appearance._

 _The man obviously having heard the chuckle, looked up, noticing the boy who was peeking at him from around the corner. He beckoned the boy forward. Toshio arrived, running up to him._

 _When he bounded up to him, he noticed a saucer containing a clear drink and a flask sitting right beside it._

" _What's that?" he asked, indicating at the saucer._

 _Kyokaru noticed what he was indicating. With a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, he smirked._

" _That" he replied "is sake. It's really nice. Would you like some?"_

 _Toshio's eyes widened upon hearing what it was. He had occasionally seen his father drink the stuff with others. But whenever he had asked him for a taste, he would laugh and tell him "Maybe when you are older." and send him off. And here this good man was finally offering him some! He nodded eagerly._

 _Kyoraku's grin widened at that as he poured out some of the clear liquid from the flask into another containing and pouring himself one. Handing one over to him he said "Cheers" bottoming the drink in one shot._

 _With the same gesture, Toshio set the saucer to his lips and drank some of the liquid. No sooner had he done so did he taste it._

 _Yuck, he thought, as he grimaced at the taste. Upon noticing the man watching him intently, he took it on as a challenge. Despite the hideous taste, and the burning sensation as it passed down his throat, he downed the drink in less than thirty seconds. When he finally set the saucer down, his eyes had begun to water and the room was beginning to move around in circles. But he quickly shook his head, in an attempt to steady his thoughts. When he looked up at the man, he chuckled slowly._

" _You've got guts kid." he replied in an amiable manner, thumping his back, which wasn't helping his situation. "The first lad I've ever met who was able to down an entire saucer in one go."_

 _He nodded, barely able to comprehend what the man was saying. He voy up to leave._

" _Best you don't mention this to your dad, okay? He would have my head if he knew." he replied, as an afterthought._

 _Nodding, Toshio left._

 _End Flashback_

"...You are already aware as to why you are here." he beard him say, bringing him out of his , you stand here bearing the honour of being chosen as a member of the Order of Observers. Do you understand the terms and conditions of your position?" he asked, as he eyes him criticality.

"I do." he spoke in a clear tone.

Kyoraku smiled softly at his reply.

"Good. Now let's move on to a few more matters which need to be addressed." He got of the oak chair he was seated on, as he approached the row of books on the shelf. Taking a particularly old one wrapped in a yellow binding almost as faded as the very pages of the book. On the cover, were the words _Westeros Essos and Sothoryos_ written in a clear, elegant script. As he looked up at the Head Captain, he sat back down at his desk before he began his explanation.

"These" he indicated tapping on each of the three words on the cover "are the continents of the world which you are assigned. You will be sent to Westeros as it is apparently the world's largest continent." he replied as he flipped the book open to a its second page, displaying a map of the world. In the west was a stretch of land extending from the north to the south. From what he could see, it extended from the polar religions to the far south. Various words were scattered all over the areas on the map. In bold letters, over the large continent, was the word **Westeros**. Towards the east stretched a larger stretch of land, extending several thousand miles to the east, large latter's declaring it as **Essos**. Finally, to the south lay a smaller landmass marked by huge stretches of deserts and forests. On it, were the words **Sothoryos**. The world's geography was a fascinating one, one far different from the one of the Human World. As he looked up, he noticed the Head Captain's amusing expression.

"Fascinating isn't it?" he asked, as he himself began perusing the map. "Of all the maps I've studied in my lifetime, none by far have caught my interest as much as this one had. As you are already aware, knowledge pertaining to other realms is usually restricted to the Captains alone. I had always pestered Old Man Yama for a peek at the books. All I got, was a whack of his cane." he replied with a chuckle.

Toshio smiled. Somehow, he couldn't quite picture Uncle Kyoraku being whacked by a cane of all things.

The Head Captain reached into his desk and pulled out a set of thick robes placing them upon the desk. Toshio's eyes widened as be recognized thee articles. These were Oken clothing, the special clothes worn only by those of Squad Zero.

"Are those…?" he trailed off, looking up at the Head Captain.

"You guessed it." he replied, with a smile. "It has always been the tradition of the Head Captain to pass on Oken clothing to each and every new member of the Order."

Toshio felt the fabric of the material. It felt soft to the touch and light. Yet Toshio knew that it could withstand high amounts of pressure. He still remembered ichigo recounting how when he had entered the Soul Society during Yhwach's attack, he had to pass through each and every one of the seventy two barriers surrounding Soul Society. He was easy able to do so due to the Oken clothing which he had received from Squad Zero. This was tougher than the toughest of armours made in Soul Society. It could unfortunately be only created with a mineral specifically located in the Soul King's domain.

The Head Captain placed the book on top of the Oken clothing.

"The book will be handy as it will provide you pretty much a basic knowledge of the going ons in the world. Besides,the hour of departure is finally upon us." he replied before he got up and came around the table, drawing out his dual Zanpakuto. He was the only one other than Ichigo in the entirety of Soul Society who welded dual Zanpakutos.

As Toshio quickly packed the additional items away in his rucksack,he couldn't help but recall his father's words.

 _You'll do me proud my son. I believe in you._

Tears formed in his eyes as his words echoed in his mind. He desperately wished his father were alive to see him before a small smile formed on his face.

 _I'll make you proud Dad. Believe me._

His resolve strengthened, he swung his backpack on, his right hand resting on his Zanpakuto.

 _You ready?_

A deep, yet reassuring voice answered him.

 _Always._

Nodding slightly, he turned to observe the Head Captain who was busy unlocking a Senkaimon- the gate to a realm.

While the Senkaimon could be accessed by any Shinigami, most were only allowed to access those realms which had a larger Hollow population, such as Ichigo's world. As such, other worlds were locked off, due to their lower levels of Hollows. Those worlds could only be accessed by the Head Captain, as he alone possessed the knowledge to do so.

As he drew his Zanpakutos from their sheath, he placed them on a horizontal level before shutting his eyes in concentration. Each blade began to glow blue as his eyes snapped open,slashing them in a cross.

 _That's odd_ , Toshio thought as he observed. A Senkaimon was traditionally opened by turning one's Zanpakuto in a similar manner as one would turn a key. The Head Captain's movements had been different. No sooner had he done so, did a small crack appear in thin air which began to widen further.

As he watched, the Head Captain lowered his Zanpakuto and placed them back into those sheaths, as he turned, locking eyes with Toshio.

"Toshio Shiba" he declared, his voice taking on a deeper tone, "do you pledge yourself to protect the inhabitants of this world, as you would your own?"

He took a deep breath watching the crack growing wider by the second, now almost two feet apart and increasing in height.

"I do." he replied solemnly.

Nodding, the Head Captain continued.

"Do you pledge to keep your abilities as a Soul Reaper hidden from mortals unless otherwise" be asked.

"I do."

"Do you pledge to remain in this world, knowing fully well that you shall not be permitted entry into Soul Society barring once per year?" he asked.

 _Thus is it,_ he thought, _no turning back now._

"I do."

Giving one final nod, the Head Captain stepped back. The crack of light heightened and broadened until it finally formed an opening large enough for a single person to travel through.

"Then Toshio Shiba of the Known World, you are henceforth assigned as it's Observer. May the Soul King watch over you." he replied.

He was about to step forward, when he felt a hand on his shoulders, stopping him. It was the Head Captain.

"Do him proud, Toshio." he replied.

"Don't worry Uncle. I plan to." Toshio replied, in a firm voice. Kyoraku could see neither fear nor worry, only conviction in those blue eyes. Nodding, the Head Captain stepped back. With a determined expression, he looked forward.

 _Here we go_ , he thought as he stepped into the Senkaimon.

A bright flash of light and a moment later, he was gone.

* * *

 **Authors Note:** Whew! That was one long ass prologue. At first, I thought I would divide it into two chapters, but then I thought it would far too much of a hassle to do so. So there you go. I know there isn't much action or much of a mention of GoT and that this chapter heavily focus on _Bleach_ , but I needed a solid back story as I will be frequently visiting it through the story. Don't worry. Action will kick off surely by the next chapter. Oh and I'm going to introduce a time skip for the next chapter. After all my OC required time to adjust to Westeros before things start heating up. Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed it and I hope you will share your reviews as they are greatly appreciated. See you next time!


	2. Chapter 2

**The Bleached Throne**

 **Chapter 2: A New World and an Unexpected Face**

 **Author's Note:** Ok. Here's the second chapter to this story. Like I said in the earlier chapter this chapter will involve a time skip because let's face it… we need to give my OC some time to adjust to the new world. Don't worry though. Action will be picking up by the end of this chapter will properly commence within the next chapter. So without further ado, let's begin.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: A New World and an Unexpected Face**

 _Five years later…_

The harsh rays of the sun beat down on the dull, bareng land. A single road, wide in breadth snaked across the land disappearing into a grove trees toward the far north. Two narrow ones branched off the wider one. Towards the south, the road continued on till it entered a vast gate manned by crimson brick walls, which were as high as thirty solid feet.

King's Landing. The capital of the Seven Kingdoms and the seat of the Iron Throne. Built by Aegon Targaryen approximately three centuries ago and located on the east shore of Westeros, and at the mouth of the Blackwater Gate, it was the largest city in all the Seven Kingdoms. Housing a population of nearly half a million people, King's Landing was a luxurious haven for those of course who could afford such a posh lifestyle. Most buildings were much the same shade of crimson as the wall which sometimes King's Landing.

Off towards the southern end of the city, on top of Viseryn Hill, was the Great Sept of Baelor. One of the largest structures in the city, the Sept of Baelor was the venue of many a religious ceremony or royal weddings. Towards the southeastern side of the city and overlooking the Bay was the Red Keep, the seat of the current King, Robert Baratheon of House Baratheon. The castle rose as a magnificent structure sprawling over acres of land encompassing nearly a quarter of King's Landing.

Over at Central Square, the busiest location in the city, a large number of people were passing by, some of whom were shouting their wares, while smiths were busy in the heat of their furnaces. A few merchants were observed walking to and fro. Occasionally,a member of the City's Watch would pass by on their horses, noting the humdrum of activity. While each stall was set up in the main Square itself, one fairly non-conspicuous one could be seen right towards the end of said Square. It was a fairly small stall and quite easy to overlook if one weren't particularly searching for it.

A young man not more than 16, was could be seen working away at a table towards one corner of the stall. A scroll of paper lay open in front of him with an array of intricate lines spreading across it. He was almost about to tear his hair out in frustration, he heard a call from outside. Turning around, he saw who it was and cursed internally.

 _Oh god, not him again,_ he thought with a sigh.

Petyr Baelish, the Master of Coin and a member of the King's Small Council. A small man, of a short height, he was slender and quick with sharp features and laughing gray-green eyes. He had a pointed chin beard and threads of silver in his hair. He was dressed in a rich brown cloak, which was fastened by a small replica of a sigil- a silver mockingbird.

"Aren, are you in there?" he asked, calling out once again.

"Coming, Lord Baelish." he replied, getting off the chair and approaching the exit. Upon crossing the threshold, he found Lord Baelish waiting there.

"I'm lucky i found you here. Such good timing too for you are away at times when I come calling." Lord Baelish replied.

"My apologies, Lord Baelish. As you know I was busy restructuring Lady Mell's halls a few days earlier, assuming that is when you called." he replied in a polite voice.

"No matter, no matter." waving the matter off. "I'm glad I found you when I could. Actually, it was from the Queen herself that I came to hear about you. She told me you did an excellent work remodeling her personal quarters. She is very pleased with your effort and sends her regards."

 _Some Queen,_ he thought in disgust. With a polite smile, he replied.

"Please do inform the Queen that it was my pleasure to be of service to her and I hope I will be able to serve her again in the future."

Baelish nodded. 'I will send the Queen your thanks. Besides, I wanted to ask you for a personal favour, if it isn't too much of a bother."

"Of course my Lord, how may I be of service to you?"

"I would be very obliged if you were to remodel my personal quarters as well, if you have enough _time_ to spare of course." he replied in a tone which while overtly polite, had an underlying threat to it.

 _You are a freaking lord. You don't ask. You demand._ He knew the games this man could play to get what he wanted. While superficially, he appeared a gentleman, but in reality he was nothing but a scheming man, who only worked for personal gains. He was weary of him as he was of the other Small Council members he had had the misfortune of encountering.

"Of course, my Lord. It shall be done. If you could provide me an appropriate time to visit your quarters for an examination…?"

Baelish appeared to be in thought for a while,before replying.

"Friday would be fine for me. I will have a Council meeting to attend. So you shall have the undisturbed freedom to examine the quarters to your content."

He nodded. " It shall be done, my Lord. I will see you on Friday." he replied, with a small bow.

"I will inform the guards of your arrival. Good day, Aren." he replied before walking off.

Aren sighed as he watched him round a corner, disappearing out of sight.

 _I don't trust that man_ , a voice spoke in his mind, _who know what secrets he is hiding._

 _You don't have to tell me twice,_ he replied, _they are ALL the same._

Aren ran a hand over his copper hair as strands off it fell over his forehead.

Five years. It had been five years since he had arrived in the Known World. Five years since he had wandered the world, getting to know it's ways and it's people.

 _Flashback_

 _At first when he had exited the Senakimon, he had appeared in what looked like a forest. A light drizzle was pouring from the sky, which didn't bother him much owing to the shade provided by the canopy of trees surrounding him. It was a tall cluster of fir trees, with the occasional conifers here and there. A narrow stream trickled off somewhere nearby. He had felt a sudden gust of icy wind which blew past him. Turning around, he had noticed clumps of ice not far off from where he stood. Walking over to one such clump, he had knelt down and felt the ice. It had a soft constituency, lacking the hardness he had been expecting._

 _Summer must be around the corner, he thought as he got back up._

 _As he began to traversed the length of the forest, the trees began to thin out steadily,until he emerged at the edge of the forest. As he exited the forest, he quickly took off his backpack, and dug into it, withdrawing the charm containing the Gigai, given by Urahara. He placed it on the ground before raising his hand and uttering "Release!"_

 _The seal glowed momentarily before dispersing. In its place lay a Gigai, which he noted that Urahara had already equipped with what he felt would be appropriate clothes for the world. It had on a heavy dark fur coat underneath which was a soft white cotton shirt, heavy-set black trousers and a pair of black leather boots, which would not the sturdiest of things, would do for now till he could get better ones in the future. On the waist, he was pleased to note was a sheath attached to a buckle. Upon examining the sheath, be noticed a passive Kido on it which would hide it from view,unless he drew his Zanpakuto from it. As long as his Zanpakuto remained in its sheath, the sheath would be invisible to others._

 _Ah Urahara, he thought. While he had only met the man once, having being introduced by Ichigo, he had noted that while his behaviour was certainly odd or eccentric, he was a brilliant man, and certainly not someone to take lightly_.

 _Shrugging, he lowered himself and entered the Gigai. As he got up, he felt a bit uncomfortable, a feeling which most Soul Reapers experienced upon entering a Gigai for the first time. His Zanpakuto appeared in the sheath. Clutching the hilt, he drew the blade from it. It was a longsword with a black hilt. A crossguard lay at its top, and a red tassel hung from the pommel. The blade glowed brightly, reflecting the daylight. He put it back into its sheath, satisfied._

* * *

 _Toshio traveled to various regions in his first three years or so in the Known World, deciding to get a glimpse of the world before he decided to begin his duties as an Observer. His first of many visits was to the the Stormlands, which he came to know from his handy guidebook, was led by House Baratheon from the castle of Storm's End. After exiting the Rainwood forests, be had made a beeline for the nearest settlement, being able to cover larger distances due to the Flash Step, which he was glad to note, he was able to use in Gigai. Ichigo had told him that while he could use spiritual energy to a certain extent such as casting low-level Kidos or using the Flash Step, if he were to release his Zanpakuto, he would have to exit his Gigai._

 _As he arrived at the castle of Mistwood, a holdfast located closest to Rainwood, he stopped to rest under one of the larger fir trees which provided ample cover for him from the constant rain, which steadily beginning to get on his nerves. As he rested, he continued to pursue the book steadily. It was quite a thick one with more than a third of it dedicated to Westeros while the rest of it was dedicated to the lands of Essos and Sothoryos. As he read on, he came to know of the language spoken in the world. As a whole, Westerosians-the people of Westeros- spoke two common languages- the Old and the Common, which had almost entirely replaced the former with only a few regions in Westeros which still spoke it while the latter was spoken by quite a few people outside Westeros as well. Most Westerosians spoke the Common tongue, which he noticed was in many ways, similar to Old English of the Human World, which he had been fortunate enough to learn from his father at a young age. The language itself was quite uniform throughout most of the region, owing to the nearly three centuries of Targaryen rule over the nation. There were no major dialectical differences in the language itself,which thus made it easier for him to understand. The book also contained a few references to specific terms which were more often used as titles rather terms themselves. Such words included titles attributed to people such as Hand of the King- the person responsible to aid and assist the king in discharging his duties, the Crows or Black Brothers- a derogatory term applied to those who were in charge of the The Wall and members of the Night's Watch, or Wildlings- people who lived north of The Wall, or The Wall- the massive wall located at the far north which kept out wildings and other mythical creatures which were of much debate by the people of the current generation. As he read a few of these terms, be began to develop an understanding of the world and his fascination grew. While there were nearly a hundred such terms, he was thankful to his predecessor for taking the pains to document it in such a detailed yet simple manner._

 _As he shut the book, and put it aside, his gaze fell to the sky, noting that the stars were out momentarily, the rain having stopped for the time being. He noticed the position of a few stars and how brightly they shone, unlike those in the skies of the Human World,which were far away from their respective planet. Having spent much of his life in Soul Society, he had never had the luxury of gazing at the stars, as the stars of Soul Society were pitch black at night. With a soft smile, he dozed off._

 _As he wandered the lands of Westeros, he traveled through most of the Seven Kingdoms. From the Stormlands, he had had one of two choices- to go south into the the Dorne ruled by House Martell, or move west to where House Lannister ruled over the Westerlands. He decided on the later as it would be far more difficult to to cross the Sea of Dorne or transverse the Red Mountains, both of which were effective natural barriers to the region. Thus, he set off westward bound._

 _It had taken him approximately five days to travel to Lannisport, one of the main port cities of the Westerlands. While he had flash stepped half the way, he had been able to hitchhike the other half due to a kind merchant and his wife who were heading the same way. It was here that he came to know of the currency system of Westeros- the Gold Dragon, named due to a dragon being etched on each and commonly referred to as Gold, was the highest unit of currency, the next was the Silver Stag, called so due to a stag being etched on each ,and lastly, the Copper, the lowest form of currency. From his guidebook, he also came to know of each of their values- each Gold Dragon was worth 50 Silver Stag while each Silver Stag, was in turn, worth 50 Coppers. The guidebook also mentioned that the House of Lannister was regarded as the wealthiest of all Houses in the Seven Kingdoms. What it failed to mention was how pompous and stuck up each member of the House were._

 _He had had the extreme displeasure of walking right into one right when he was on his way to one of the various markets at the port. Characterised by their blond hair, their fair complexions, Toshio knew immediately tara this was undoubtedly a Lannister._

" _Watch where you're going, kid. Walk tight into a Lannister, did you?" be replied, with an annoying amount of arrogance and pride, as he glared at Toshio. Not wanting to stir trouble, Toshio bowed humbly, muttering a quick apology before leaving._

" _Arrogant pricks, the whole lot of them…" when he was out of range. It was like an entire House of Byakuyas, which brought a smirk to his face. Yet he would face Byakuya any day over these people. While Byakuya was a prideful man and a noble to boot, he knew perfectly well that his Captain had always revered and respected him as a brother. So, be clearly had some good in him to garner such a respect._

 _He had spent a good few months at Lannisport. At first he decided he needed to earn a living. While most souls did not require to eat in order to survive, those which utilise spiritual energy, such as Soul Reapers, needed to eat in order to replenish their energy. While be had spent the first few days surviving on the rice balls Ichigo had given him, and the occasional fruits, he knew he couldn't possibly carry on like this. At first, he had sat himself down at night, thinking jonno what professions he could possibly take up. Towards the other half of town, be could still hear a smith working away which struck him with the idea that maybe he could become a smith. After all, he believed he could operate a furnace and he_ _ **did**_ _would a Zanpakuto. He had also observed the Zanpakuto of quite a few others. So maybe it would work out._

 _But then he realized the complication which stood in his way. A smith did not gain a reputation easily. Smith's had to prove their mettle to others and gain that reputation. Also, if he were to gain a reputation as a smith, it would draw unwanted attention to him, seeing as he would be requested by more higher up personnels, thus making him far too conspicuous in the long run. He sighed. He would have to sleep on it._

 _The next morning, as he was making his way down the main road, he observed a man by a door, attempting to steady it as it had fallen out of its hinges, owing to the rock which had been holding it to its place dislodging._

 _He approached the man._

" _Need a hand?" he asked._

 _The man looked up at him. He had clearly been struggling with him for quite some time, as his hand had traces of rust from the rung which had been holding the door in place._

 _The man shrugged. "Sure lad, why not?" he replied, as he moved aside._

 _Toshio walked up to the door, examining the hinge. It had clearly cum loose from the run itself, as that area was cracked. He heaved the door to the side while carefully playing his palm on the rung, muttering "Seal: Stage One"._

 _Seal: Stage One. A basic Kido used in conjunction with other complex Deals or Kidos to reinforce their effect and power._

 _A Kanji for 1 glowed unobtrusively on the wall before fading away. Re moving his hand, he swing the door almighty from one side to the other, as if examining its structure._

" _There. Good as new." he replied. The man looked taken aback that he had done it with such ease. Smiling, he teacher into one of his pocket in his probes, killing out a Dragon, handing it to him._

" _For your troubles." he replied in a genial manner._

" _Oh no, I couldn't.." Toshio replied, waving it off._

" _I insist." he replied firmly, in a tone that left no scope for argument._

" _Umm...Ok." he muttered, pocketing the coin._

" _Thanks again for the help lad. What's your name? I don't believe I've seen you around these here parts."_

 _He was about to give his name, when he paused for a short while. He couldn't give his true name away because it would obviously stand out, given that most people in Westeros used names which were more or less, were Old-English derivatives._

" _Aren. Aren Saltcliffe." he replied, choosing a name which he guessed was quite a common one in Westeros. He based the title off a location he had read in his guide book the other night. The Saltcliffe Shores were a location to the far south, near Sunspear Castle, ruled by House Martell._

" _Ay, you've come from far. Don't get much Dornish folks around here that often." he replied. "Anyways, thanks much for the help, lad."_

" _Sure. It wasn't a problem." he replied,as he walked off._

 _Infact, he knew just what he wanted to do._

 _Taking up the name Aren Saltcliffe, he roamed the lands, not spending more than two months at Lannisport. He was weary of the Lannisters, the whole lot. Each of them were powerful, influential and owned nearly half the lands in Westeros owing to the fact that they were the wealthiest of the Seven Kingdoms._

* * *

 _From the Westerlands, he headed north, bypassing the Crownlands and entering the Riverlands, which as he read was the land of "no kings". While the other regions each held a ruler, with the title Lord Paramount, the Riverlands lacked such a person, and were currently ruled by House Tully who governed from Riverrun, a castle located in the central-western region of the Riverlands. He decided to cover the journey on foot instead of resorting to using the Flash Step, a journey which took him approximately a month to cover. It wasn't a bore as he had thought it would be, as it was during this time that he had encountered his first Hollow._

 _It had been during his stay at the Crossroads Inn, an inn located on Kingsroad, and a popular resting stop for wandering travellers and merchants. On his way out of the Inn at night after a hearty meal, he had felt it._

 _The first spike in spiritual energy. It was unlike that let off by natural animals and other such creatures. He had read on his guidebook, that the Known World possessed quite a few mythical creatures, most of which were regarded as extinct or mere myths such as Dragons, Direwolves, Krakens, Phoenixes and so on. This was felt different, almost malevolent. It was coming from a cluster of trees further ahead._

 _Ad he Flash Stepped to the trees, he spotted a large shape lumbering about in the shadows of the tree. Upon noticing him, it quickly whirled around, lumbering into the open._

 _It was a tall one, almost seven feet and of a dark-grey colour, allowing it to blend perfectly with the night. On its arms, were a set of dangerous appendages and on its chest where it's heart should be was a massive hole. It's eyes fell on Toshio as it lumbered toward him in excitement. Meanwhile Toshio was purposefully looking away in the opposite direction._

" _A human with spiritual energy." it thought, as it steadily approached him. " Must be one of those Stark brats. Well, at least this ones alone. Ripe for the picking." it cried, as it lunged for Toshio._

 _Except when he reached him, he was gone. Looking around in puzzlement, he spotted him, standing a few feet away from when he had originally been standing._

" _Looking for me?" Toshio asked in a singsong voice, a mocking grin in his face. It wa then, that the hollow noticed his hand resting in the hilt of a blade on his left._

" _An Observer." the Hollow cursed his luck, before grinning in turn. This was the first time it had ever run across one in this world. This ought to be interesting._

" _No matter. I've not had to work for my food in a long time." it replied, before attempting to smash him into the ground._

 _Toshio watched in an alarming bored manner as the Hollow's arm approach at an alarming rate. He silently drew his Zanpakuto from its sheath._

 _A flash of silver and a spray of scarlet. The arm lay cleaved in half and on the ground. It slowly began to disperse into spirit particles._

" _Sorry. I don't plan on dying any time soon." he replied with a smirk._

 _The Hollow, mad in rage, lumbered at him with the other arm, intent on killing him, instead of eating him. Toshio sighed._

" _You Hollows just don't know when to do you?" he asked rhetorically, before side stepping the other arm, leaving the Hollow wide open for a counterattack._

 _The Zanpakuto steeped across before cleaving a gash right across the Hollow's chest. It stepped back in shock, as it's entire body was cleaved in half. The body fell on on to the forest floor. He sheathed his Zanpakuto as he observed the hollow disperse steadily._

" _Well, atleast the night wasn't a complete bore." he replied cheerfully as he turned back._

 _He had spent around six months at Maidenpool, further north of the Crossroads Inn. He had taken up work as a minor mason, helping other men in several spots of reconstruction. At first most were sceptical of him, seeing a he was nothing but a "young lad". But he soon gained a reputation of being able to repair most things which others were unable to do, with the help of the occasional Kido of course. Once, he had been tasked with fixing an entire door which had been blown off it's hinges. He had pretended to have some difficulty with it, fumbling with it for a few hours before he successfully 'fixed' it. Thus, most of the people of Maidenpool were unhappy to see him leave a few months later. As a token of gratitude, most of the folks of the town pitched in and threw him a grand farewell with much food, drink and merriness. Thus, Toshio had left Maidenpool with a smile._

* * *

 _It was during his journey further north that he had one his more notable encounters. It had been shortly after he had left Maidenpool._

 _He had been traveling north at a leisurely pace , thankful that he had had the sense to bug a couple of shirts back at the markets of Maidenpool as the one he was wearing was too worn out. He saw a tiny blue stream further ahead, hidden behind a grove of trees. As he cleared the grove, he suddenly came upon a pair of hushed voices up ahead. Deciding to stay back, he gud behind one of the larger trees, eavesdropping._

" _...I say we kill him. We've already gotten what wanted." one of the voices replied in a feral voice._

 _Bandits, Toshio thought._

 _Bandits are pretty much a common occurrence in the roads of Westeros. Most travellers preferred to travel in packs rather than individually, owing to them. While he hadn't run into any as of now, he had heard many tales of them from the people._

" _But if we spare him…" the other argued,before a third voice spoke up. This voice was far different from that of the two bandits. The tone was polite and polished, clearly belonging to a nobleman._

" _Kind Sers , do spare me. If you do, I promise to make you richer than your wildest dreams. And you know what they say of a Lannister- A Lannister always langs his debts." he replied._

 _A Lannister, Toshio thought with a frown. It was odd to encounter one so far off from Casterly Rocks, where the main House members resided. He peeked around the tree, taking a good look at all three._

 _While the bandits were unremarkable, it was the Lannister which drew his attention._

 _He was a short man. A very short man. Hardy two feet tall. He had the characteristic blond hair all Lannisters possessed. He was dressed in a rich leather jacket with leather boots. A golden sigil hung from his neck. Only one man in the entirety of the Seven Kingdoms matched that particular description._

 _Lord Tyrion Lannister, youngest son of Tywin Lannister of House Lannister. The man was called by many names- Imp, Halfman and Dwarf were but a few of the names Toshio had heard. Yet he recalled the distinct difference between him and other Lannisters- he was widely regarded as the most genial of all Lannisters and an overall pleasant fellow, which was almost shocking, considering he was a Lannsiter._

 _What Toshio took not of most was the man's eyes. They were sharp and possessed a great deal of intelligence about them._

" _We have no need for your debts." the other bandit replied. "You die here, halfman." the bandit replied, before swinging his left hand down, which was holding an axe._

 _The Lannister shut his eyes, preparing himself for what he imagined would be a gruesome death. But the blow never came. Opening his eyes, they widened._

 _Toshio stood beside the Lannister, his right hand gripping the bandits arms, the axe mere inches away from the Lannister's face. He quickly stepped back in shock._

" _Why don't you take someone your own size?" Toshio replaced with a glare as he let go of the bandit's arm. Before the bandit could step back, Toshio slammed his knee into the bandit's gut sending him crashing onto the ground. The bandit wearily got up with the assistance of the other._

" _Who are you?" the other bandit asked._

" _My name is of no concern to you." Toshio replied. "Now leave, before I_ _ **make**_ _you leave."_

" _You are joking right kid?" the other man replied as he straightened up. "You and what army? You aren't even armed. This should be a price of cake."_

 _Both bandits nodded before they charged at Toshio. The Lannister could only watch in shock as the boy stood by, calmly, as he watched the two bandits approach._

 _May the Seven protect you boy, the Lannister thought as he watched the axes flew at the boy._

 _His eyes widened at what occurred next._

 _Toshio quickly lashed out,his left arm grabbing hold of the first bandit. With asar wrench, he grabbed the axe from the arm, throwing it away before smashing his elbow right into the bandit's nose. With what appeared to be a light shove, the bandit was sent skidding back to his earlier location, where he collapsed._

 _The other bandit had meanwhile stopped, as he watched what happened to his companion. He quickly rushed to him, helping him up. His fearful eyes then flickered over to Toshio, as if waiting for him to attack._

" _Leave." Toshio barked in a harder voice. "Next time I won't be so merciful."_

 _With a nid, the bandit helper his companion up before fishing off into the trees as fast as their legs could carry them._

 _He was about to leave when the Lannister cried out to him._

" _Wait." the Lannister asked. Toshio paused, turning around to face him._

 _The Lannister took a deep breath before he spoke._

" _I owe you a great debt,boy. Not only did you save me from those two bandits, but you put your own life at harm's way. If there is anything I could do to…"_

" _Stop." Toshio replied._

 _The Lannister paused as he stated up at him. His voice contained a note of authority. And yet he didn't look like a nobleman._

" _Lord Tyrion Lannister." the boy spoke, the Lannister's eyes widening._

" _You owe me nothing."the boy continued. "I did not save you in order to have you in my debt. I was merely passing by when I encountered those bandits. I am not a man of needless violence."_

 _Tyrion meanwhile, was in shock. Never in all the Seven Kingdoms had he met a man or a woman, who wouldn't be delighted to be at the debt of a Lannister. And yet, here stood a boy refusing the debt. Tyrion cleared his throat before replying._

" _Be that as it may" he replied "as a member of House Lannister, I insist on it. There must be something I could do for you."_

 _Toshio noted the Lannister. He sincerely seemed to want to make it up to him._

" _I have neither need nor want of your gold, Lord Tyrion." Toshio replied. Seeing that he was about to interrupt, Toshio held up a hand. " If you still insist on it, then I'm afraid we have to leave it as it is for now."_

 _Tyrion nodded. That deemed acceptable. He may ask for a favour in the future, which the man hoped he would be able to grant._

 _Toshio was about to leave when a thought occurred to him._

" _Why_ _ **are**_ _you all the way here of all places?" Toshio asked, puzzled._

 _Tyrion sighed._

" _It was my folly. I strayed away from my camp. It is the first time Father has sent me outside the Westerlands on an errand. I decided to roam the woods on my own. I must say I did not expect to run into bandits of all people."_

" _That's not too bad." Toshio replied. "Perhaps they are nearby."_

" _If it isn't too much of a bother…." Tyrion asked, in a clearly humble tone "...Could you please escort me back to my camp. It's due north, just beyond the stream."_

 _Toshio shrugged. "Sure" he replied._

 _As the two trekked across the stream and through the trees, Tyrion was eying the boy critically as if he were trying to gauge him. While he valued himself as a good judge of character, he could not say anything about the boy's past. His attire were far from noble, but above that of a commoner. Yet his diction and fluency of language indicated that the boy was certainly educated. As they moved across a particularly thick group of trees, he noticed a sheath on his waist. It was a sword._

 _After a good twenty minutes of walking, Toshio began to see crimson banners up ahead in a clearing. Each held a lion, the sigil of House Lannister. He stopped shortly from the clearing._

" _Looks like we part ways here, my Lord." Toshio replied with a smile and a humble bow. As he was about to turn back, Tyrion asked one last question._

" _I didn't get your name, lad." Tyrion spoke._

 _Toshio stopped, turning around._

" _I thought you'd never ask." Toshio replied with a cheeky grin. " It's Aren. Aren Saltcliffe."_

 _Tyrion watched as the boy disappears back into the forest._

 _Aren Saltcliffe…, Tyrion thought in wonder, …you_ _ **are**_ _an enigma. He pondered for a few moments before shrugging and resuming his journey back to his camp._

 _End Flashback_

Toshio re-entered the store, as he sat back down at his work table, resuming studying the complicated Kido seal array, which he hadn't made a single ounce of progress with last evening.

He toured the lower North for a few months before doubling back down south, for the North was the largest of all Kingdoms in Westeros and he wanted to save it for a later date. Arriving at the Crownlands almost two years ago, he set up a small store off the end of the Mim Square from the earnings be had gathered in the previous years. He gained much the same reputation he had gained elsewhere and occasionally people began to come to him with larger requests, such as restructuring an entire room or a hall, as he had done last week. Life was fine.

As he had travelled, he had spent quite some time honing his Zanjutsu skills, for just because he bad barely fought a handful of Hollows in his five years of existence, there was no point in getting rusty. Every night, he would sneak away into the barren deserts, far off from Kingslanding. He would exit his Gigai and train for two hours at a stretch, while spending a third in Jinzen-sword meditation. Shashutaiho had even informed him that he was steadily approaching Bankai, a thought which had clearly excited Toshio. While Toshio had fought jdi Zanpakuto spirit several times, none of those fights had been nothing more but spars. Thus, both Soul Reaper and Zanpakuto were looking forward to _this_ particular fight.

As he was about to get back down to work, be heard excited yells and shouts from outside. As he went out to examine what it was, he saw a throng of people gathering around the Castle Road, leading up to the Red Keep as he could see a procession about to enter right through the Mud Gates. One of the men who rushed past him in a hurry, called out to his companion.

"The new Hand is here." he replied in an excited tone. " Let's go have a look shall we?" he said, as both joined the crowds.

 _Oh that's right!_ he realised. He had heard from one of the occasional City's Watch members in the Square that Robert Baratheon, the current King had left Kingslanding for the North a couple of weeks ago. It was rumored that he had gone appoint Lord Eddard Stark, Lord Paramount of the North and Lord of House Stark as the new Hand of the King, after the previous Hand, Lord Jon Arryn of House Arry, had died three weeks ago.

He was about to re-enter his store, when he felt an overwhelming surge of spiritual energy. Eyes widening in shock, he turned around instinctively, facing the Mud Gates.

 _What the…_ Toshio thought. His mind flashed to a similar incident which had occurred two years ago.

 _Flashback_

 _He had been at Barroton, a settlement located in the Barrowlands. He had spend a couple of days here and had noted the pleasant difference between the folks of the North from that of the other Kingdoms. They were a far more merry and genial lot and the people were far more accepting of him than those of other places he had visited. They had even brought him to a tavern and toasted to him and his journey, a fact that puzzled, but amused Toshio. All in all it had been a pleasant stay at Barroton._

 _He was about to resume his journey back to the south, after a month's stay at Barroton. As he was about to leave the town in the early hours, be felt a sudden spike in spiritual energy. No sooner could he trace it, it disappeared. He turned to face the north. The spike of energy had been emitted from somewhere further north. At first, he had been puzzled as to what it could have been. It most certainly did not feel similar to the tainted aura of a Hollow. Thus had felt far more similar to that emitted by a Soul Reaper._

 _He shrugged. Dismissing it as a casual flare of spiritual energy by an animal or something, he move on._

 _End Flashback_

 _This one though…,_ Toshio thought, in worry. It was _enormous._ He had never felt such a massive amount of spiritual energy in this world at any given time or place. It was almost unreal. The spiritual energy was on par with what one would expect a Captain level Shinigami to possess. Yet as he homed in on it, he sensed that there were _far deeper_ reserves of spiritual energy which lay, waiting.

His curiosity getting the better of him, he decided to investigate. He knew it couldn't possibly be a Hollow as it was not malevolent in any way. On the contrary, the spiritual energy felt uncannily warm, almost comforting in a way.

As he made his way to the crowd which had gathered around Castle Road, he had to push his way to the front to get a better view. He could see the procession of chariots accompanied by knights in gold cloaks, the Kingsguard, leading the front of the party. As he narrowed his eyes, he spotted the two men leading the procession. The two were engaged in conversation.

One was clearly King Baratheon. He was a round man and quite short at that. Roughly 50 years of age, he had a haughty expression on his face. He had a tuft black hair and a thick beard on his face. He had on a chainmail vest on top of which he wore an armour. A travelling valo was attached to his shoulder as he rode. As he watched, he finished his conversation with the other man, who fell back.

His gaze fell on the second man.

His eyes widened in shock. At first he thought the desert heat around Kingslanding had finally got to him. But as he drew closer, the man's details came into sharper focus.

He was a tall man. He had long copper coloured hair which fell on his forehead. Some if it was tied in a near ponytail. He bad on a chainmail and a sword rested on his waist. A travelling cloak was wrapped partially around him.

What was district was his face. He had a sharp face. The face of a commander. Yet he had pleasant air about him as he smiled and nodded at various people.

Toshio felt as if he was viewing the events from the end of a long dark tunnel, barely able to hear the cheers of the people. His hands were shaking in shock as he watched the man pass by.

Only one word escaped him.

"D-dad?" be stuttered out.

* * *

 **Authors Note:** There you go! The second chapter. I hope I got most details concerning Westeros correct. Also, i have gone back and made a couple of significant changes to the Prologue. So do go back and give it a read as it contains a some new information. The update schedule will be bit slow this week as I have midterms next week. So I may not be able to update this week. I will be free from the next updates will become far more frequent from then. Anyways, i hope you enjoyed. See you next time.


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